On January 2, the Senate confirmed Kelvin Droegemeier as the new director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Droegemeier most recently served as vice president for research at the University of Oklahoma and as Oklahoma secretary of science and technology. He was a member of the National Science Board for 12 years.

OSTP is responsible for providing scientific and technological analysis to the president, leading coordination efforts for interagency science and technology policy, and assisting the Office of Management and Budget with an annual review and analysis of federal research and development budgets.

In August 2018, AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine said, “The scientific community has been waiting a long time for this critical position to be filled. Dr. Droegemeier has the scientific credentials, leadership track record, and commitment to rigorous science to be an outstanding director of OSTP.”

AERA had joined several other scientific and scholarly organizations in supporting Droegemeier’s confirmation.

Also on January 2, the Senate confirmed Steven Dillingham to serve as the next director of the Census Bureau. Dillingham has previous experience with federal statistical agencies as director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. He most recently directed the Peace Corps Office of Strategic Information, Research, and Planning.

With his confirmation, Dillingham will be on the front lines in leading data collection for the 2020 Decennial Census.

In December, AERA joined 28 organizations on a Census Project letter endorsing the nomination of Dillingham to be the next director of the Census Bureau and urging the Senate to confirm him.

“Time is running out on the lame duck session and, more importantly, on preparations for the 2020 Census,” the letter read. “It is time for Dr. Dillingham to take the mantle at the Census Bureau and help grapple with unprecedented challenges to an accurate decennial headcount.”